


A Foolish Man

by NotInPublic



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Minor Violence, TLKFFF2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25484017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotInPublic/pseuds/NotInPublic
Summary: TLKFFF2020: Finan/Osferth - Osferth is stabbed by Finan while trying to wake him up from a nightmare.
Relationships: Finan/Osferth (The Last Kingdom)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15
Collections: The Last Kingdom Fanfic Fest





	A Foolish Man

Finan never slept deeply. He hadn't for a long time, since Sveri's oars boar deep blisters into his palms that the sea's cruel bite turned to deep welts. Even now, years later, he slept lightly, hand never far from his blade. 

The cruel irony of it was the only time he slept with the deep sleep of a free man was when the nightmares came. From them, there was no easy escape. Nightmares of waves, salt water in his mouth, manacles shackled to bleeding ankles, the sharp cut of whips. Other times, the nightmares came in the shape of axe blows barely dodged, of wild eyes threatening death from an opposing shield wall. They were only slightly better than the tormenting nightmares of Ireland's rolling hills and his brothers sly grin as hands constricted around him, stripping him of his freedom.

It was that nightmare that plagued his dreams that night. Conall's yellow-toothed smile mocked him and countless hands pulled him into a black sea. Hands he couldn't escape. He fumbled for his sword hilt as he had done so many times before. As he had done on that awful day, to find his hip bare of his ever-present scabbard. 

Only this time, his hand clasped around a hilt, strong and grounding in his grasp. Before the slavers could react, he lunged forward, plunging the blade into his brother's stomach, stealing the victorious grin from his lips.

Only they weren't Conall's lips and they weren't smiling. Finan's vision cleared as he heard the very real clatter of iron against ground.

A small gasp slipped from Osferth as he glanced down to where Finan's blade had pierced.

"No" Finan gasped, no longer paralysed by the nightmares effects. "No, no" he muttered desperately as he drew aside Osferth's tunic to see a neat stab wound, seeping blood at an alarming rate.

"Finan" Osferth gasped, eyes wide and breath coming in short gasps as his eyes followed Finan's gaze to where his blood was rapidly staining the cloth of his tunic.

"No" Finan repeated again, bunching up material, any material he could find to press against the wound and staunch the bleeding "Osferth look at me, stay with me" he pleaded, meeting Osferth's frightened, glassy eyes "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The apologies felt bitter in the wake of Osferth's gaze, in the wake of what he had done.

Those eyes. He had hoped never to feel the terror of watching Osferth bleed out ever again. Had hoped his threat to any God that would listen of terrible retribution should they let the boy die had worked. Now, they were here again and this time, it was Finan's own hand that had struck the blow.

"Remember what I said before?" Finan held Osferth's jaw in his hand, forcing the younger man to focus on him, a low whine leaving his lips unbidden as he noticed how his fingers left dark smears of blood across Osferth's cheek. 

"If I die, you'll kill me. Right?" Osferth answered with a small smile, before wincing as the pain hit him.

"Right" Finan answered, angrily blinking at the tears blurring his vision. If Osferth was well enough to smile, to joke, he could not be as badly wounded as Finan had dreaded. That was good. It had to be good.

"I'm going to take a look, okay?" He asked Osferth and waited for the other man's nod of assent before dropping his gaze to the bloody less of rags he held against Osferth's stomach.

Finan swallowed against the bile in his throat. Gut wounds were what every warrior dreaded. They were the silent killers. A man could be wounded at breakfast and live to see nightfall, only to be found dead the following morning. 

No, he couldn't think like that. Bracing himself, he blinked once more and breathed in deeply to steady himself before peeling back the cloth.

His breath left him in a rush, relief flooding his body and turning him weak. Osferth looked down with a jolt, taking Finan's exhale as a bad sign.

"What-" he started, before Finan cut him off.

"It's okay. It's going to be fine" the Irishman didn't know whether he was talking to Osferth or himself.

Trying to bend over to see for himself, Osferth winced.

"It doesn't feel fine!" He protested, doubting Finan's verdict.

"The angle, it's too shallow to-" Finan couldn't finish the sentence, the possibility of what could have been still too raw to acknowledge "it needs binding." He finished instead, gently laying Osferth where he himself had been sleeping moments before.

"Ow" Osferth protested, but sent a weak smile at Finan "that's the last time I try to wake you from a nightmare."

"I'm sorry" was all Finan could say. When Osferth was settled on the ground, Finan leant down, letting his lips brush against the younger mans lips briefly.

He needed that, though he knew he had no right. This was his doing after all. By rights Osferth should be pushing him away. Instead, he felt Osferth's hands tangle into his hair, deepening the kiss.

"Stop it" Osferth admonished when they broke away.

"Stop what?" Finan asked, pulling back to study Osferth's pale face.

"Berating yourself. It was an accident, I should have known better." Osferth glanced down at his side and grimaced, making Finan's stomach clench once more.

"No" Finan spoke firmly now, waiting until Osferth's eyes were back on his before continuing "I am a fool, and you are too good for me."

Osferth's lips twitched upwards at that "you are a fool" he agreed, taking Finan's hand in his own "now go and get something to clean up. He glanced across the woodland where they were camped for the night. The others were sleeping far enough away not to have been woken and Osferth sent a silent prayer of thanks for that. He could do without the jibes that would surely come in the morning, when it would be impossible to hide what had happened.

Several long minutes later, Finan with lengths of cloth and water. He seemed calmer, Osferth noted gratefully, inwardly flinching at the memory of how Finan's eyes had glazed in terror. Osferth never claimed to be a brave man. Indeed, there were times when he thought all of his bravery was borrowed from his brothers, from Finan's unwavering belief in him. To see Finan griped by dear had terrified Osferth.

Finan carefully helped him into a seated position before cleaning the wound and wrapping the bindings around Osferth's stomach. Every now and then, he placed kisses over Osferth's smooth, pale skin whenever the wounded man flinched in pain. Finan needed that contact more than Osferth, he thought. He had been lucky, so lucky. His hands shook now, with relief or shock, he couldn't tell.

When the wound had been cleaned and dressed, Finan helped Osferth to lie down once more, taking care to wrap him tightly in his cloak.

"Sleep" he ordered against Osferth's faint protest "I will take watch."

Finan lay down beside him then, drawing Osferth against him, kissing the soft skin behind his ear. They usually avoided such closeness in front of the other men, aware that they knew of the feelings between Osferth and Finan but choosing not to exhibit it all the same. 

Tonight, however, was another matter entirely. Finan held Osferth as close as possible without hurting him, making sure that he was settled in a comfortable position before allowing himself to finally relax. He let the other man's warmth and steady intake of breath reassure him that the worst had not come.

Tangling their hands together, Osferth shifted further back into Finan's embrace.

"I love you, foolish man" Osferth whispered into the darkness. It was a warm night and in any other circumstances, this would have been a pleasure they so often denied themself. As it was, they lay tangled in a mixture of relief and need- and bitter regret on Finan's part.

"I love you too. Always" Finan replied, voice shaky. He was happy to take Osferth's watch, as he knew sleep would not come again that night. Curling himself around Osferth's sleeping form, he used the time to thank God that he had not extinguished the happiness they had found together. Not yet, anyway. Someday, Finan knew, that awful time would surely come, for that was the nature of life. Not that night, however, not by his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I've loved this pairing since the scene in S3 where Osferth is on the cart after being wounded at Beamfleot and Finan is riding behind. The smile they shared was so beautiful. When I saw this prompt, it was exactly what I'd been waiting for.


End file.
